Yubikiri Pinky Promise
by WinterLovers
Summary: 10 years ago, they made a promise that he would return to her after a year of stay in Hong Kong. However, something happened while he was away. Now, he has return to Japan only to find that... SyaoranXSakura
1. Prologue

**DISCLAIMER :** I do not own any of the characters in CLAMP Production nor do I claim to own them.

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**Yubikiri****ゆびきり**

**Prologue**

The breeze was soothing in late spring. The meadow was perfectly small and filled with wildflowers such as poppies, buttercups and pansies. The sun was shining brightly in the blue sky accompanied by white puffy clouds which looked like cotton candies. The sunlight was filling the meadow with a haze of buttery sunshine. In the middle of the small yet lovely meadow, there stood a huge cherry blossom tree. The cherry blossoms bloomed with beauty and elegance, some of its petals swayed slowly into the air as the light wind blew. There was a sweet fragrance tingling in the air. Under the huge tree, there was a little girl with short brown hair. She was sitting under the tree and she was curled up. Her face was buried in her knees. The small huddled figure seemed so fragile and sad.

" Ra-chan! "

" …(sobs)… " The little girl was crying.

" Ra-chan… "

The voice grew louder and the little girl looked up. A boy came into the picture. He was slightly taller than her and he was calling her name.

" It's alright… " He gave her a pat in the back as he was trying to comfort her.

" How can I be alright? (sobs) Mama left me and she will never come back, ever!(sobs) " She murmured in sorrow.

" Ra-chan… don't cry…" The little boy comforted her.

" (sobs) J-Just let me be! I can't cry in front of the others… (sobs) You can't expect me to be all okay after Mama just died! " She sniffled.

" Actually… today's my Papa's death anniversary…" The boy admitted.

" I already knew that… (sobs) " She choked.

The boy lowered his head, bent down and sat beside her.

"Mama just died today… (sobs) Everyone missed her so much… (sobs) They were all crying… (sobs)" She turned around to face the boy and asked, " Why aren't you crying (sobs)? ... Aren't you sad? (sobs) " Her emerald green eyes were swollen due to the crying and her nose was bright red.

" I promised Papa… that I'll be strong… " He smiled at her. It was an angelic smile and it always managed to calm her down. " So I will not cry anymore. " She didn't know why but all she knew was as long he is by her side, she'll be fine.

" … " She wiped away her tears, stood up and patted her skirt. Yes, everything will turn out fine as long as she had him with her.

After a long silence, with full determination, the little girl said, " Ran-kun, I've decided… not to cry anymore! I want to be strong… just like you…. " She sniffled. " Thanks for comforting me! I knew I could always count on you!" She looked back at the boy with her beautiful green eyes and smiled warmly.

" It's nothing… " The boy smiled again, relieved to see that she had stopped crying. While the little girl looked up to the sky, out of the blue, he popped out a question.

" Ra-chan… um… " He began.

" Yes, Ran-kun? " She answered, puzzled by his sudden tone of solemn.

" Will you be alright… if I'm… " He swallowed.

" Yeah, if you're what? " She asked.

" If I'm… gone? " He choked out.

She stared at him for a moment, she looked disbelief and was speechless. Tears began to well up in her eyes. He saw that she was about to tear up again. Without hesitation, he stood up immediately and embraced her into his arms.

" (sobs) Why? Why? Ran-kun, why…? (sobs) " She started crying… again. " Is it… Is it that you… (sobs) don't want to stay with me anymore…?" Her voice was cracked and hoarse.

" No! That's not what I meant!" He assured her. " It's just… my Mama wants to start over a new life somewhere else… She wants some time to think, to calm herself down. "

" (sobs) You see? I said I don't wanna cry anymore and (sobs)now you made me cry again! " She cried out but continued her sentence. " Then… when am I going to see you again, Ran-kun…? (sobs) " There was a hint of hope glinting in her voice.

" Um.. maybe… " The boy hesitated.

" What do you mean by that? " The little girl raised her head and looked at the boy with fiery green eyes. " You traitor, you pinky swore with me that you would stay beside me forever, hmph! " She tore herself away from his embrace and crossed her arm. She didn't mean to sound angry but she wanted to make him stay as she didn't want anybody who was dear and precious to her leave her alone anymore.

Looking at the girl, the little boy chuckled and walked towards her. He cupped her puffy cheeks and nudged her while she was staring towards the ground, upset and disappointed. The boy smiled and placed the softest kiss on her forehead as he reached out his fingers to wipe away the tears.

" Ra-chan, I meant it when I pinky swore that promise. " He said it in a serious manner. " I promise you that I will return to you when my Mama recovers. "

The girl blushed and looked him in the eyes. She saw the dedication in him. _He really do meant it_, she thought to herself. She couldn't utter another word to stop him from leaving. She knew very well Aunt Yelan's current condition ever since her beloved husband passed away.

" Ra-chan… " The girl didn't respond so he decided to repeat again but he was cut off.

" Fine, fine, fine! " She finally made her decision. " I'll wait for you but… " All of a sudden, she grinned mischievously.

" But…? " The boy waited anxiously for her to continue her sentence.

" But… I will only wait for a year and… you must pinky swear this promise! " She raised up her pinky finger, motioning the boy.

" (sigh) Alright, alright… a year… " He smiled as he raised up his pinky finger and pinky swore with the girl.

Letting go of his pinky finger, she asked, " So, Ran-kun, where are your family moving to? " There was a slight tinge of sadness and disappointment in her tone. Even though she hid her feelings well, the boy noticed it.

" … Hong Kong… " He replied reluctantly.

" Oh, I see… Hong Kong… " She nodded her head as she tried to figure out where or what this 'Hong Kong' is. _Is it edible?_ She wondered.

He observed her cute little puffy face as she was licking her lips. She was trying to figure out what he had just said. He smiled and teased her, " Sillly, Hong Kong's not edible! " He laughed.

" W-hat? No-no way! I-I wasn't thinking a-about that! N-Not even close! " She lied nervously. _How did he know what I was thinking? Scary…_ She thought to herself. Her face was blushing furiously.

" Ba-ka, Hong Kong is place near China. " He laughed.

" Hmph, fine! Laugh all you want, you big meanie! I'm leaving! Hmph! " She turned around, embarrassed.

As she was trying to walk away from the boy, he grabbed her by the hand and pulled her into his arms. " Don't leave me, Ra-chan. You know that I'm just playing with you. " He explained.

" Hmph! But no more teasing me being stupid, okay? " She demanded.

" Alright. " The boy said. Watching her smiling victoriously, he decided to add in some fun. " Now, don't tell me that you're figuring out whether China is edible or not~ " He whispered to her ear and ran away from her quickly.

" RAN-KUNNNNNNNNNNNN! " She yelled out loud as she began to chase him.

In the perfectly small meadow, under the huge cherry blossom tree, the sun dropped beyond the horizon, creating a silhouette of a pair of couple running around, laughing and having their fun times during the reign of their childhood. It was a memorable moment that the two of them will always cherish.

This happened ten years ago.

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**A/N **: Do review and thank you for reading.

Glossary for Japanese terms:

'Baka' means 'idiot'


	2. Chapter 1 Just My Luck

**DISCLAIMER : **I do not own the characters in CLAMP Production nor do I claim to own them.

**A/N : **Many thanks to those who reviewed and have read.

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**Yubikiri****ゆびきり**

**Chapter 1 Just My Luck**

Ten years later…

Thump, thump, thump…

Sakura rushed down the stairs hurriedly. _Boy, am I late or what?_ She thought to herself. As she rushed into the kitchen, she saw her big brother, Toya had finished his breakfast. " Ohayo~! " She greeted her father who was having his breakfast and reading the newspaper.

" Ohayo, Sakura. Come, sit down and have your breakfast. " Fujitaka gestured as he smiled at his energetic daughter.

" Sorry, Dad. I'm kinda late so I'll just grab a toast. " She answered as she reached out and grabbed a few toast from the dining table while stuffing some cereal into her mouth.

" (sigh) As I thought, our little Sakura is hopeless. Not only is she a little monster who ran around the house making a ruckus, but she is also a hungry one! " Toya, who was now doing the dishes, exclaimed dramatically.

" Heyyy! Jush becosh… " She swallowed and continued, " Just because I'm 156cm tall doesn't mean that I'm little! " She defended.

" Yes, yes, (sigh) the little monster claims she's big! Ooooh, I'm trembling in fear~! " Toya exclaimed in mock terror towards his little sister who was currently glaring at him.

" Dad! Nii-tan's teasing me again! " Sakura complained. _Heheh, as long as I have Dad on my side, you're toast, Nii-tan!_ She grinned as she took a bite on the toast.

As promising as it was, she heard, " Toya, stop teasing your sister! " Fujitaka lectured.

" Yes, yes. Just joking, Dad. " He explained.

" Hmph! That'll show you not to mess with Sakura Kinomoto! " After getting her big brother off her back, Sakura turned around and headed towards the door. Before reaching the doorknob, she remembered something and walked towards the piano where a lot of photo frames were placed on. She looked at the picture of a woman whom had silky long hair for a brief moment and whispered, " Iki mase, Okasan… Love you… "Then, she placed a kiss on one of the pictures and went to the door. " Oh, and Nii-tan, I am NOT A LITTLE MONSTER! Iki mase~! "With that, she ran out of the house and headed to school.

Fujitaka watched as his daughter left and turned to the photo frame which was placed beside their dining table. " Didn't our little Sakura grow up to become such a fine, young woman? " He said as he looked at the woman in the picture. It was his beloved late wife, Nadeshiko. She was breathtakingly gorgeous and full of grace and elegance. She looked so happy and contented in the picture. She was like a delicate flower, beautiful and yet, so fragile.

"Dad… " Toya mumbled as he put away the dishes.

"Yes, son? " Fujitaka turned around and asked.

"… Nothing. " Toya thought for awhile and shook his head. " Dad, I gotta go. Iki mase! " He went to grab his coat and was off to school.

Fujitaka let out a long sigh. " Don't they just grow up so fast, Nadeshiko dear? If only you were here… (sigh) that would make things much easier… Please, watch over our Sakura… " If only life wasn't so harsh to his family, everything would be just fine. What happened twelve years ago isn't something he could predict or prevent. At that time, he was forced to make a choice. In the end, he chose to protect his beloved children, especially Sakura. Twelve years ago, he already knew about his dearest wife's cruel fate. Despite the fact that the doctors couldn't do anything about his wife's illness, he tried his best to save her and their children. But it was too late, he had to let go of his wife in order to protect their children.

_" (cough)… Forget about… me… Please…. (cough)Save our children… It's so painful, Taka-kun… I… (cough)don't want to… suffer anymore… "_

After all these years, he could still hear his late wife's weak yet tender voice ringing through his head, pleading him to let her go. Sometimes, he would wake up in cold sweat along with nightmares, recurring in the middle of the night. It all happened so suddenly that he didn't know how to react. He remembered by the time he found her, she was already at her last breathe. He screamed his wife's name in such agony, it was as if his heart was torn in half, and he held her tightly in his arms. He was afraid that if he let her go, she will never again return to his side.

**-Fujitaka's Flashback-**

Looking at the man that she loved so much, Nadeshiko reached out to him and traced her fragile fingers across his tear-stained face. "Gomen-ne, Fujitaka-kun... After all these times... I've still caused you nothing but trouble... " Nadeshiko whispered weakly as blood kept dripping out from her lips. He looked so tired and worn out. She knew that she had to end it all, so that her family could finally live in peace. " I love you..." She smiled weakly at him and murmured those last words to him softly before letting out her last breath. By the time Fujitaka realized it, his wife who was covered in blood; had already left him.

**-End of Fujitaka's Flashback-**

As Fujitaka was reminiscing, he took the photo frame and said, " Nadeshiko dear, I miss you so much… " Then, he looked out of the window and gazed upon the clouds in the sky.

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**Sakura's POV**

Dad's probably talking to Mom's picture again, I think… Yeah, it's becoming a habit in our small family that we pretend Mom is still 'alive'. We tend to talk to her pictures as if she was still with us. It's our way of showing we still love her miss her. Mom died when I was little and after her death, there was only my big brother, Toya and my Dad left in our family. Although I couldn't remember what she looked like but I do remember that Mom was the sweetest woman, she was so tender-loving and caring. We loved her so much but life was cut short. I was still a little child at that time so I couldn't remember what exactly happened. Toya told me that a car accident took her away from us; he told me that she was severely injured and by the time the ambulance reached the hospital, there was nothing they could do. Dad never went to work for about a week as he locked himself away in his room, reminiscing about Mom every day. I knew that Dad still loves her so much to the extent that he would give his life in exchange for her. Dad used to tell me about how he and Mom met each other. He said while he was doing his first year as a teacher at Mom's high school. Mom had climbed a tree to return a chick to its nest, but she accidentally fell out of the tree and landed on him. Upon seeing Mom, Dad stated that " an angel has fallen from the sky." I smiled at the sight when Dad told me how clumsy Mom was but at the same time, she was very kind-hearted and she wouldn't even hurt a fly! Dad said that after they met, it was love at first sight and they got married. Mom was only sixteen then.

Back then, I was a little girl, but I remembered during Mom's funeral, I didn't even shed a single tear. While everyone else were crying and sobbing their heart out, especially Mom's first cousin, Aunt Sonomi. I just stood there as Tomoyo hugged me sadly. I stared at the coffin where Mom was sleeping in, feeling numb and emotionless. After Mom left us, no matter what life threw at me, be it harsh or cruel, I forced myself to be strong. I cannot cry because I know that's weakness in other people's eyes. Mom always tells me that I should always look forward in life and smile towards what tomorrow has to offer and I kept that as my way of living a happy, contented life even though it was its cruelty that took Mom away from me. I have to work hard and I have to stay strong. I just know that she's up there looking and smiling down at us. Dad used to tell me that Mom went to heaven because she wanted to become my guardian angel… (sigh). I stopped for a moment while passing by the Penguin Park. There were leaves lying all over the ground, red and yellow, some of them swayed into the air as the light wind of autumn picked up…

Argh, now is not the time to be thinking about this! I shook my head to get rid of that thought. I looked at the time and no…! I AM SO LATE!

I, Sakura Kinomoto am currently the top model student in CLAMP High. A straight A's student and also, I hold the responsibility of the Student Council President in this academy. And now what? I am super late for school just because my alarm clock malfunctioned? This is ridiculous! I bet Chiharu and the others will laugh their guts out if they find out about this! Especially that Yamazaki! Well, at least Tomoyo would understand the whole situation, I think. But still, no way am I gonna let that happen! I rushed down the alley as quick as I possibly could. It was autumn and the weather was getting cold, not to mention the ground is slippery as it rained cats and dogs last night. I was racing against time and unfortunately, time was winning. Then, I remembered something; running distracted on slippery surface isn't such a good idea because you would eventually… "THUDDDDDDDDDD!"… fall. Due to my lack of concentration, I lost my balance and fell down. " Ugh, that hurts! " I grunted as I stood up and patted my skirt. Luckily, my school uniform was still in one piece. " Phew, close call! " , I let out a sigh of relief. Then, something hit me. " THE PAPER WORK!" I said aloud as I remembered the folder I was holding onto a while ago. I spun around, looking for them. Apparently, my paper work was scattered all over the place and not to mention, some of them flew to the road side! " NOOOOOO! NOT TO THE ROAD! IT'S STILL WET AND MUDDY THERE!" I ran after them. I was so panicked at the moment and I didn't realize I was running straight into the middle of the road. I bent down to pick up one of the papers as all I could think was I have to get those papers back because if anything were to happen to the documents from the Student Council…

" SCREEECCCHHHH! " A black Lamborghini was heading towards my direction fast. The driver was practically driving at high speed.

Everything happened so fast, it was all a blur and my first reflex was to roll over to the other side of the road so that I would be saved instead of getting sandwiched by the speeding car and thrown in the air. And that was what I did! Unbelievably, I rolled to the other side of the road, and just when I wanted to get a better view of the culprit who ruined my school uniform, he already drove away. Fortunately, I got a glance of him, I was positive at it was a guy and he was wearing a school uniform. So, I bet he's a high school student. When I turned around in search for the missing paper work, it was all too late. All those which had flown to the roadside were ruined. They were all muddy and wet; some of them even had tyre tracks on it!

" NOOOOOOOOOO! " I yelled out loud in horror. " Now, I have to redo the paper work again! " Staring down at my school uniform, I grunted in frustration. " And how the heck am I suppose to deal with this? "

That's it, if I ever see him again, he is dead meat! I swore to myself as I picked up one of the papers which were partly covered with mud gingerly, hoping that it could still be saved. Sadly, the paper was already ruined. " UGH! THIS IS A DISASTERRRRRR!" I yelled as I threw away the wet paper. That mysterious driver or should I say, the bone-head, didn't even bother to offer me a hand. Never mind that, but he could at least apologize to me, right? But what did he do, eh? Nothing! All he did was honk at me, and then drive off, leaving clouds of smoke and specks of dust and dirt smacking right into my face!

I was downright furious and embarrassed! I have never been so humiliated and out of luck in my entire life! The only fortunate thing was it's still early in the morning and there weren't many people walking around or else I wouldn't know how to show myself in school anymore! The President of Student Council cannot and must not be seen in this kind of manner! Students look up to me and teachers trust me, if I were to appear to them in this kind of messy state, I might as well jump off a building! Shaking off that thought, I clutched onto the remaining ones and looked at the muddy, wet papers which I had spent 5 hours working on lying of the ground in despair. I breathed in and tried to be optimistic. Well, there's no use crying over split milk, guess I'll have to redo the rest of them. I thought to myself as I turned away and continued heading towards school.

" RINGGGGGGGGGG! " From a distance, I could hear the school bell rang. I ran as fast as I could and prayed hard that I would be able to reach school in time. Hopefully, everything will be fine… That was the last thought that flashed through my mind as I headed straight towards CLAMP High.

**End of Sakura's POV**

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Tomoeda, a beautiful town which is nearby Tokyo is the perfect place to settle down for most people. Its unique surroundings and friendly neighborhood comes with the combination of three magnificent places- The Penguin Park, CLAMP High and Lake Tomoeda.

CLAMP High is a prestigious academy founded by the wealthy Daidoji Investment Corporation (DIC). It is set amidst 510 acres of breathtaking landscaped parkland, and is one of the most beautiful campuses in Japan. Besides, CLAMP High is renowned for the quality of its teaching and learning facilities as it provides an environment where teaching and learning support that are well balanced. CLAMP High is an academy which is different from any other high schools as the staff mainly teachers, are graduates with at least a master's degree. On campus, there's a wealth of study and other facilities. As one passes through the gold tainted grand gate with the emblem of CLAMP High on it, there's a long straight path with a row of cherry blossom trees on each side, followed by a building that is specially made for club activities. On the left side of the pathway, there is where the outdoor facilities such as the archery range, the stable, the track field, the outdoor Olympic sized swimming pool and the tennis court, as well as the volleyball and basketball court are situated . Turning to the right side where all the indoor facilities are located, an indoor swimming pool followed by two large building which is the studio and the theater and a green house can be seen. At the end of the pathway which will forked into two directions, leading to the parking lot, there stood the main campus. Inside the main campus, all education facilities can be found. Facilities like classrooms and staff rooms with projectors, air-cons and silver coated tables, chairs, an infirmary with well-trained doctors and nurses, cafeterias with top chefs from around the world serving the students with a wide range of varieties, washrooms with a world class hygiene and also, a large room which is specially built for the Student Council Club are all well equipped inside the main campus. Besides being well-known for its high standard facilities, CLAMP High also holds a high reputation for producing eugenics that achieved great success and honorable awards, both in academics and athletics. Only student who are born into an aristocratic family or those with excellent and outstanding results can enter the academy. Sakura Kinomoto and her elder brother, Toya are one of the many examples of prodigies that got through CLAMP High's proficiency test which is popular in Japan for its degree-of-difficulty-factor.

As the summer break ended, CLAMP High's staff room was hectic with teachers busy compiling their paper work which is needed to be submit to the headmistress. Some teachers were busy with the paper work such as new students' details and entrée form, reports considering the progress of students' academics and athletics; some were talking while doing their work.

Female Teacher A : " Hey, have you heard about the new transfer student? "

Female Teacher B : " Oh, yes, I've heard about that. The one from Hong Kong, right? "

Female Teacher A : " Yes, the very one. I'm quite surprised when he submitted his entry. Imagine, Hong Kong! I wondered what made him wanted to transfer here in the middle of the semester… If he's in my class, he'd be prepared to catch up with the assignments.

Female Teacher B : " I'd say I'm not surprised as we do have some foreign student studying in this academy. And, I went through his academic and athletics report from the previous school that he studied and I can tell you this, he is a prodigy! Just like our students here, I think he'll fit in."

Male Teacher C : " What are you people doing? We still have paper work to do, so pipe down and finish it. The headmistress is waiting! "

Female Teacher A and B : " Yes, Sir!"

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Meanwhile, students in CLAMP High was in high spirits and were all chatting away with one another. Many were excited to tell their stories about their summer vacation during the summer break. As usual, the boys were gathered up at a corner talking about their overseas vacation, some were talking about computer games and comparing their high scores, the rest of them were discussing about the newly launched online games during the summer break. On the other hand, the girls were chatting happily about the new outfits they bought during their summer vacation in the overseas. Some of them were talking about the latest autumn fashion from the magazines while the others were gossiping away about previous events that happened during the break.

" Minasan, ohayo! " Rika greeted her friends who were all sitting around together at the back as she placed her bag at her seat and went and joined the crowd.

" Ohayo, Rika-chan. " Chiharu replied while Naoko pulled over a chair beside her as she was saving a place for her friend.

" Ohayo, Sasaki-san. " Eriol replied while holding onto a book.

After Rika sat beside Naoko, Yamazaki continued their conversation. " And so, anyone been to anywhere during the summer break? " He asked the crowd.

" I stayed at home helping my Mom with the chores. It was a boring summer break for me. " Chiharu said gravely.

" Well, I went to the Tomoeda Beach with my family. " Naoko answered. " It was kinda fun to camp at night, just beside the beach. " She giggled as she remembered something funny during the camp.

" Tomoeda Beach? " Chiharu repeated. She eyed Naoko with caution eyes. " I heard rumors that something terrible happened there 9 years ago. " She said.

While everyone turned their attention towards Chiharu who was ready to tell the story, nobody noticed that Tomoyo who was always quiet but observant, flinched slightly the minute Chiharu mention the word '9 years ago' .

" Really? " Rika asked in disbelief. " What happened? "

" Yeah, what happened there? " Naoko asked curiously. She always loved to hear tales and stories, especially the scary ones.

" Uhhh... from what I heard, someone died there. I'm not sure about the details but it was a woman. There have been reports about her body which was found near the beach. " Chiharu explained.

" Yeah, I've heard about that. Some said she was being pushed off the cliff while others claimed she committed suicide because she was mentally unstable. " Yamazaki cut in.

Eriol, who was sitting beside Tomoyo nodded his head. " I've also heard that story... " He said while he flipped through another page.

After hearing them, Naoko pouted and said, " Aww~ you guys could have told me sooner... Now I missed the golden opportunity! " She hung her head in disappointment.

" Why did you say that, Naoko-chan? " Rika asked in curiosity.

" Because... I WANNA SEE IT FOR MYSELF! " Naoko looked up and grinned widely. " I just love this kind of stuff, they're scary but full of suspense and excitement! " She said dreamily.

Knowing Naoko's interest, Rika giggled as she expected Naoko would react that way. Chiharu just stared at her, speechless while Tomoyo smiled, she looked somewhat relieved. Eriol continued reading his book and Yamazaki laughed in amusement.

" So, where have you been to during the holidays? " Chiharu asked Tomoyo with curious eyes.

" Oh, I went to Paris with my Mom since she had some business to attend to. " Tomoyo replied.

" I knew it! So... did you get anything for us while you were there? " Naoko asked in excitement.

" Yes, I bought some snacks. We'll share them during recess. " She smiled.

" Anyways, where's our President, Sakura-chan? " Chiharu asked all of a sudden as she noticed someone was missing their exciting conversation.

" Now that you've mentioned it, where is she? " Naoko looked around. " She's never been late, she is always punctual. "

" Do you know where she is, Tomoyo-chan?" Rika asked since she knew very well that Sakura and Tomoyo are very close relatives.

" No, not really... " Tomoyo thought for a moment before saying, " I think she's on her way. "

" Hmm... I wondered what happened... " Yamazaki mumbled.

" Speaking of the Devil. Ohayo, Sakura-chan! " Chiharu exclaimed while looking towards the back door of their classroom.

Leaning against the door frame, Sakura was trying to catch her breath. She was dressed in her P.E attire and she looked like she had just run a marathon. " (pant)O-Ohayo..(pant) " She breathed heavily. It was a miracle that she was still able to speak out after running as fast as her legs could possibly carry her. When Chiharu eyed her, puzzled and confused, she immediately answered her unspoken question, " (pant) Don't(pant) ask. " She said in a stern voice while still panting for air as she placed her bag beside Tomoyo.

" Sakura-chan, what happened? " Rika asked with concern.

" ...(pant) Nothing happened(pant)... " Sakura answered hastily. _Phew, close call! Luckily I went through the back door or else I could have sworn everyone will be throwing questions at me. Questions which I would rather die than answering them!_ She thought to herself, ignoring her friends who are currently looking at her in with questioned eyes. The last thing she wanted to do was to tell them what exactly happened.

" C'mon, tell us! Your loyal fans are dying to know what happened that made you change into your P.E clothes, Kaichou-sama! " Yamazaki exclaimed loudly. Unfortunately for Sakura who was trying her hardest not to let her nightmare become a reality, everyone in class heard Yamazaki's announcement and stopped whatever they were doing and in an instant, all the students' attention were drawn towards Sakura.

" Yamazaki-kun, remind me to shut your big mouth next time!" Sakura grunted through her teeth before turning away to face the crowd. "Thanks a lot for the unnecessary trouble!" She added in frustration while Yamazaki looked amused.

As she was about to answer the incoming questions, the bell rang and their teacher, Mr. Terada entered the class. Everybody went back to their seat as the attention was drawn away from Sakura. _Save by the bell!_Sakura thought thankfully while she sat at her place.

" Sakura-chan, why are you wearing your P.E attire? " Tomoyo leaned in and asked.

" I'll explain everything to you later. " She answered.

" Alright. " Tomoyo agreed and turned away.

As Mr. Terada walked to his seat, Yamazaki turned around and whispered, " Hey, have you guys heard about a new transfer student from Hong Kong who is going to be joining us today? "

" Yeah, I've heard about it. " Chiharu nodded her head.

" Yup, me too! I heard it was a guy... " Naoko answered while Eriol nodded his head as he closed the book.

" How did you guys know that? " Sakura asked in astonishment. "I thought it was confidential news and only teachers would know about it. "

" Well... I have my sources. " Yamazaki grinned proudly.

" Oh, I found out when I overheard some of the teachers. " Naoko admitted guiltily.

" Well, I found out because this guy would not stop bragging about it! " Chiharu answered as she glared at her boyfriend while tapping her fingers.

While Naoko and Rika were giggling, Tomoyo was listening to their conversation quietly. She already knew that 'he' was coming during the summer break when she was helping out in her aunt's office. _Hopefully nothing bad happens if both of them meet..._ Tomoyo thought to herself. _Even though... even though Sakura-chan has forgotten about 'him'..._ Tomoyo felt a sense of guilt and pity as she watched her cousin who was busy doing something. To be honest, at first, she was surprised when she came across 'his' entree form in her aunt's office. She thought that 'he' had already disappeared long time ago, she didn't expect that she would find 'him' here, in CLAMP High. She remembered clearly that she told 'him' to give up on Sakura. No matter what, she is certain that even if they were to meet each other face to face, she was certain that Sakura will never remember 'him'. Not after what happened 9 years ago. The tragedy that changed her cousin's life forever… Tomoyo turned away from her cousin as she felt her eyes were beginning to well up with tears as she thought back the cruel fate that her cousin had to suffer. She has to keep an eye on 'him' in case anything happens. She'd have to make sure that 'he' never recognizes Sakura. After all, what actually happened 9 years ago was only between herself, her Mom, Sonomi and Sakura's father. Nobody knew the truth behind the tragedy except for the three of them. She'll also have to be very careful in front of 'him'. She will go by all means if it's to protect her dear cousin. If Sakura were to remember 'him' along with the whole incident, she would shatter completely and that may cost her life. Nine years ago, the doctor who took care of her dear cousin warned her that if too much pressure were to weigh on Sakura's mentality, she will go into a state of coma and that is something Tomoyo will never allow.

Terada put down the books that he was carrying and cleared his throat, preparing to make an announcement. " Settle down, class, settle down. " he said. " Now, clear an empty space because a new transfer student will be joining us today. " Before he continues, he overlooked the class and saw that Sakura was in her P.E attire. " Miss Kinomoto, may I know the reason that you're not in your school uniform? " He asked.

" Umm... I accidentally spilt some coffee on my uniform so I changed into my P.E attire. I'm sorry. " Sakura knew very well that she cannot hide from the teacher so she might as well come prepared with a reasonable excuse.

" Right, but next time, Miss Kinomoto, please be careful. Now that everything has settled, you may come in now. " He said as he turned his head towards the door, motioning the person who was standing outside the classroom to enter.

The boy entered the classroom and as he walked in, all eyes were on him, especially the girls. Some were whispering among each other and some were giggling shyly as the newbie turned out to be a hottie.

" Well, everyone, our friend here had just recently returned from Hong Kong and I hope everyone of you will welcome him as a member of our class. " Mr. Terada announced. " Go ahead and introduce yourself. " He said to the boy.

Tomoyo widened her eyes as she saw the one she least expected walked into their classroom. Yes, she'll have to be very careful dealing with the both of them. There was no other option, she has to do what's best for Sakura.

Standing in front of the whole class, it was a boy with chestnut hair and hazel brown eyes. He knitted his brow in frustration as it seemed that self-introduction was nothing but a nuisance to him. Then, he stepped in front of the class to introduce himself reluctantly. " My name is Li Syaoran. "

* * *

Glossary for Japanese terms:

' Ohayo' means 'Good Morning'

' Nii-tan' is a cute way for a sister to address her elder brother.

' Gomen-ne' means 'I'm sorry'

' Minasan' means ' everyone'

' Iki mase' means ' Here I go'. Normally, the Japanese would say that before leaving their house.


	3. Chapter 2 Li Syaoran

**DISCLAIMER** : I do not own any of the characters in CLAMP Production nor do I claim to own them.

* * *

**Yubikiri ****ゆびきり**

**Chapter 2 Li Syaoran**

After voicing out a short sentence, Syaoran who looked annoyed, continued to stand there and waited for the teacher to carry on. That's when questions started to surface among the students as most of the girls were excited to know more about the new guy. When Mr. Terada asked the class if there were any questions that they would like to ask, the girls immediately threw questions towards Syaoran.

" When is your birthday? " A girl with glasses asked shyly.

" What are your hobbies? " Another girl with ponytail asked.

" Where do you live? " A girl who was sitting in the front row asked.

" How's the weather in Hong Kong? " Yamazaki stood up all of a sudden and popped out a question, and what followed was complete silence among his peers. Then, almost everyone in the classroom burst into laughter, especially the boys.

" Hahahahahahahaha! " A boy who was sitting next to Yamazaki laughed out loud. " N-Nice one, dude! " It was amazing that he still managed to talk after laughing that hard.

" ' How's the weather? ' What are you? A weather forecaster? " Chiharu said as she shot Yamazaki the look that said, ' are you an idiot or something? '.

Mr. Terada shook his head and commented, " Mr. Takashi, let me know when you have decided to become a weather forecaster in the future. I'm very sure you will turn out to be a great one. " Almost everyone laughed their guts out as Yamazaki rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment and sat down.

" Alright. Now, I can see that there's an empty seat behind Miss Kinomoto and that will be your place for the entire semester from today onwards, Mr. Li. " Mr. Terada said as he looked towards the corner of the classroom. While all that happened, Sakura was busy doing her paper work. The due date is today and she has to finish all of it by all means before recess. If it wasn't because of the incident that happened this morning, it would have been much easier for her.

" Miss Kinomoto. " The teacher called.

" Hai, sensei. " Sakura stopped doing her work and answered as she stood up.

" As the President of the Student Council, you are assigned to show our new friend around the school. " He appointed and stopped for a while before continued, " But I was informed that you would be attending the Student Council meeting today, so I'd like you to show him around the school tomorrow, is that alright? "

" Yes, sensei. " She nodded her head and sat down.

" You can now go to your seat, Mr. Syaoran. " Mr. Terada gestured the new student.

Syaoran grunted as he turned away from the teacher and headed towards his seat which is beside the window. Everyone, especially the girls, turned their heads around. Girls giggled shyly while the boys complained among themselves as the guy was robbing their chances and stealing their spotlight from the girls. But Syaoran didn't pay any attention to his surroundings. He looked irritated and annoyed by the girls who were swooning over him. As Syaoran walked towards Sakura, she looked up and their eyes met.

**Sakura's POV**

Another assignment to be done... Well, being the new guy's tour guide isn't such a bad thing. But first, I'll have to finish my paper work and only then, I will have the time showing this guy around the school. I thought to myself as I sat down. Then, the new guy by the name of Li Syaoran passed me by as I was going to greet him. It's a good way to start by greeting, I guess. When I rose up my head to greet him, the moment I looked into his eyes, I was... startled. There was a sudden warmth that leaked out of my heart as I looked into those familiar brown eyes. I couldn't take my eyes off him. It was as if I have seen those brown eyes from somewhere before, like... like I've known him for a long time. It was like deja vu. Weird...

**End of Sakura's POV**

" Miss Kinomoto. " Mr. Terada called. " Is everything alright? " He was puzzled to see the new student stopped and stood in front of Sakura.

" Sakura-chan, Mr. Terada is calling you. " Tomoyo whispered as she kept her eyes on Syaoran who looked slightly startled.

Sakura snapped out of her thoughts and answered, " E-Everything's fine, sensei. " She assured the teacher.

" Well, inform me in case anything happens, alright? "

" Yes, I will, sensei. " Sakura said as Syaoran walked passed her and sat at his place.

" Sakura-chan, are you okay? You looked absent-minded... " Tomoyo was very concerned about her cousin's current condition. " Did anything happen? "

" I'm fine, Tomoyo. Thanks for asking. " Sakura gave her a convincing smile.

" Okay, but if you're not feeling well, tell me so that I can bring you to the infirmary. " Tomoyo said worriedly.

" I will but I'm fine, Tomoyo-chan, really. " Sakura reassured her.

Syaoran who was sitting behind Sakura widened his eyes as he heard the name 'Tomoyo'. Just a while ago, he was too annoyed by the atmosphere that he didn't noticed Tomoyo Daidouji was here in the same class as him. He observed the Daidouji girl from behind carefully. There is no doubt that if Tomoyo Daidouji is here, the person that he was looking for the past 8 years would be nearby. Syaoran looked over the classroom, trying to search for the girl then his eyes fell upon the girl who was sitting in front of him. He saw her face a while ago, but then again, 'she' couldn't possibly be here. Tomoyo told him years ago that 'she' had already left and went to settle down in the States. Staring at Tomoyo, Syaoran decided to confront her after school.

On the other hand, as Mr. Terada was teaching, Sakura couldn't help but ponder what actually happened a while ago. Not only did she feel she had seen those eyes before but also, she noticed that Syaoran looked slightly disbelieved as he looked at her face. What was he trying to show her? _Argh, stop thinking about it, Sakura! You still have tons of paper work to finish and recess is about an hour away!_ So, she quickly carried on with her work. Tomoyo who saw what happened kept glancing at Syaoran. Something happened between them just a while ago but she couldn't figure out what was it. She just hoped that it wasn't something bad...

* * *

" RINGGGGGGGGGGGGG! " The bell rang.

" And that's all for today, class. Remember to finish the assignment because I want it done by tomorrow. " Mr. Terada reminded. " Thank you, class. " He said as he walked out of the class.

" Thank you, sensei. " The class stood up and bowed.

After Mr. Terada walked out, everyone was chit-chatting. Some went to the school cafeteria in groups and some decided to go to the library. Everyone was doing their own activity as it was recess and so is our heroin, Sakura Kinomoto.

" DONE! " She exclaimed happily as she had finished her paper work.

" Looks like you're busy doing something else when Terada sensei was teaching, Sakura-chan. " Chiharu said as she approached her friend. " You'd better be careful if don't wanna get caught by Terada sensei. " She advised.

" Yeah, what were you doing? " Naoko agreed and asked. " Student Council stuff? " She said after examined the papers on Sakura's table.

" Yup, Naoko-chan. And thanks for the reminder, Chiharu. " Sakura said as she tidied up her table.

" Sakura-chan, I thought you told us before that you've finished the paper work during the second week of the summer break. " Rika said as she stood up and gave Sakura a puzzled look. She remembered clearly when the gang called her out on a trip to the mall, she told them gladly that she had finally finished the Student Council paper work.

" Are you alright, Sakura-chan? " Tomoyo stood beside Sakura. She looked concern.

" Yeah, and you still haven't told us what actually happened this morning, honorable Kaichou-sama. " Yamazaki cut in and grinned mischievously.

After hearing Yamazaki's statement, everyone nodded their head in unison and looked at Sakura, waiting intensely for her answer.

" Look, guys! First of all, nothing happened this morning, okay? And yes, I did say that but I wasn't actually doing the paper work just now, I was just going through it. " She lied as she could no longer stand her friends' questioning eyes. She swallowed. Then, from the corner, she saw that Eriol Hiiragizawa was the only one that didn't join in the gang. She was grateful for the fact that with his type of personality, _he usually doesn't butt into other people's business, unlike someone else here who enjoys doing it_! She thought to herself as she glared at Yamazaki who obviously looked like he was enjoying himself. Then she realized that her friends didn't look convinced at all except for Tomoyo who understood what went on but kept quiet. _Guess I'll have no choice but to do this!_ She thought to herself as she made her decision. " Why? You guys don't believe me? What if I have a witness with me? "

" Well, who? " They asked in unison excluding Tomoyo.

" It's... HIM! " She turned around and pointed at Syaoran who was preparing to leave the class.

She grabbed his wrist and pulled him towards the gang. " There! He's my witness! " Sakura exclaimed as she put her hand on his shoulders and prayed hard that Syaoran would follow her lead.

" Him? But he's a new student, he's practically concentrating on the teacher rather than watching you 'going through' your paper work. " Yamazaki said as he emphasized. " Plus, you didn't even go into the class with him and that shows that you didn't came to school with him. So he can't possibly know what happened this morning, right? " He mused as he grinned towards Sakura with confidence.

" Takashi-kun has a point there. " Naoko agreed while Rika nodded her head.

" I can't believe I'm saying this but, what the idiot said make sense. " Chiharu admitted hopelessly.

_No, I can't let them know the incident this morning! Surely it'll create unnecessary trouble, not only to me but also to them. I don't want them to worry about me!_ She thought as she tilted her head and whispered to Syaoran. " You have gotta help me in this, please! Just tell them that nothing happened this morning and you'll have my gratitude! " Although she felt a little awkward as she whispered to him but she ignored it as she appeared to be desperate for help at the moment. Then she gave Syaoran the puppy dog eyes as she pleaded with him. A surprised look flickered across Syaoran's face but he concealed it with his pokerface. Then he turned to his classmates slowly. When Sakura saw that he responded her signal and turned towards Yamazaki and the others and was now preparing to answer their question, she was delighted and relieved. She was also surprised as she didn't expect that the new student would lend her a hand. _Nah, as long as he did what he was told, everything would be alright!_But what came out next made her hopes crash into the pits of darkness.

" This is… none of my business." He shrugged coldly and turned away from them. With that, he left the class, leaving Sakura looking dumbfounded and Yamazaki grinning victoriously.

* * *

" And that... was what actually... happened. " Sakura murmured in defeat.

Now, the six of them were sitting in the cafeteria and Sakura who had no choice but to surrender, reluctantly told them the whole incident that took place this morning. Yamazaki was the loudest as he went ape and was hitting the table with his hand.

" HAHAHAHAHA! " He laughed out loud and some of the students were already staring at him like he was some kind of weirdo. " HAHAHAHA! Ohhh, I- I can't take this anymore! BWAHAHAHAHAHA! " He continued laughing while clutching onto his stomach as it was beginning to hurt.

Sakura hanged her head in humiliation. She could barely face the others as Tomoyo gave a pat on the back, trying to comfort her. Naoko and Rika giggled softly among themselves as they were trying their hardest to suppress their laughter though they weren't exactly giggling about Sakura's misfortune but rather because of Yamazaki's funny behavior. Tomoyo smiled as she comforted Sakura who was low in spirit while Eriol who wanted to go to the library in the first place but was ended up being dragged by his trouble-making friend, Yamazaki, to the cafeteria, was currently ignoring the whole situation. He was more interested in reading his book rather than paying attention to his friend's insanity. On the other hand, Chiharu shook her head in despair as she tried to ignore her boyfriend's moronic manner and pretended that he was a stranger.

" Sakura-chan, you could have told us sooner. We wouldn't be laughing at you. " Chiharu said sincerely. " I mean, c'mon, you were nearly hit by a car! You could have hurt yourself! " She scolded her in a motherly behavior.

" I know that but I was scared that... " Sakura defended. This was exactly what she was avoiding, she didn't want the others to be worried and concerned about her well being. Then again, she'd never expect Chiharu to react like this. She thought that her friends would laugh at her. Well, she came to school late because her alarm clock malfunctioned. Not to mention, her school uniform was covered in mud and she had to secretly change into the P.E attire among the bushes outside of the school. She was forced to do that as she didn't want to walk around the campus in a mud-covered uniform while looking for a changing room. God knows what will happen if she were to be seen by teachers or students. The whole time she was changing herself by the bushes, she kept chanting, " I must be dreaming. I must be dreaming. I must be dreaming... " . It was so embarrassing and humiliating!

" That what? " Chiharu repeated sternly. " What were you afraid of anyways? "

" I was afraid that... " She swallowed. _Better make up an excuse if it's to put their mind at ease._ She thought inwardly.

" BWAHAHAHAHAHA! " Yamazaki cut in as it was quite impossible to ignore his non-stop laughter.

_Here comes the opportunity!_ Sakura immediately replied, " That this might happen. " She pretended to be frustrated at Yamazaki as she let out a long sigh. _So far so good…_ Sakura continued pretending to be troubled by Yamazaki.

" Sakura-chan, that is ridiculous! It's Yamazaki we're talking about! There's nothing to be afraid of. " Chiharu assured her friend as she glared at her boyfriend who was always acting like a clown. " Anyways, did you know who that crazy driver was? " She changed the topic.

" No, not really... But I am certain it was a guy and he was wearing a school uniform. " Sakura replied as she thought back about the incident this morning.

" School uniform... Could it be one of our students? " Naoko assumed. " She continued as the others excluding Yamazaki who was still laughing in his world, looked at her. " Well... Judging from this person's car, I'd say he's rich and... "

" And? " Chiharu repeated anxiously.

" And... " Naoko grinned at the others. " What school are we studying in? " She questioned as she concluded the whole solution.

" CLAMP High... " Chiharu answered as she tried to figure out what Naoko meant. She knew Naoko always liked to beat around the bush to create an atmosphere of suspense and thrill. " What does our school have to with the car or the driver? " She finally gave up and asked.

" What Naoko was trying to say is, the person who nearly hit Sakura is definitely one of our students here in CLAMP High since only our students here can afford those kind of luxurious car. " Rika explained as she finished analyzing Naoko's statement.

" I think Naoko's right. " Eriol stated while Tomoyo nodded her head as she agreed with Eriol.

" So... what you mean is the culprit who ruined my beautiful morning is here? And he is walking among us? " Sakura flared up in an instant as she was furious. The more she thought back about how unlucky she was this morning, the angrier she gets.

" Calm down, Sakura! I'm just assuming, but I think you could check the parking lot... " Naoko suggested. " That is, if you know what the number plate is... " She reminded.

" Of course I remember the number! " Sakura yelled as she was mad at the moron who ruined her morning. " I swear he is so dead once I get my hands on him! " She grinned in menace.

While Sakura was planning her revenge, Naoko and the others took a step back as they could feel a sinister aura surfacing around Sakura. _Poor guy!_ They all thought to themselves in unison and pitied the guy who just triggered Sakura. They knew Sakura ever since they were doing their first year in this school and Sakura was famous for using her angelic face to disguise her demonic temper. They remember during their first year in CLAMP High, a girl was jealous of Sakura because Sakura became the president of the Student Council instead of her. So, without knowing Sakura's true nature, she went spreading rumors on the Internet and also in school using fake pictures which she photoshopped in attempt to destroy her reputation. But the plan backfired, and Sakura with her own ways, gave the poor girl a taste of her own medicine. Within a week, she drove the girl out of the academy and she was forbidden from reentering the CLAMP High ever, despite the fact the girl was the heiress of some wealthy company and her father was a prominent man. Since that very day, Sakura had the teachers on her side as they bestowed their trust upon her and surprisingly, students began to acknowledged her position and looked up to her. She even had her own fan club! Although Sakura has full authority over the students, they knew well that she isn't the kind of person who would misuse it.

" I feel so sorry for the guy... " Rika whispered to the others with pity.

" Me too... " Naoko agreed. " Poor guy... " She said gravely.

" May his soul rest in peace. " Chiharu added solemnly.

" What are you guys doing? " Sakura asked as she looked at them, confused and puzzled. She was too indulged into planning her sweet revenge that she didn't quite hear what her friends were talking about.

" Nothing! " The three of them replied in unison.

Sakura eyed them in confusion as she felt that somehow, she had just missed an important conversation with her friends. But she dismissed them as her own imagination.

" Anyways, Sakura-chan! If anything happens next time, you have to tell us, okay? You can trust us on anything. After all, what are friends for? " Chiharu offered generously, attempting to avert Sakura's attention and it was quite easy to do that.

" Yeah... but... " She stammered. _I don't want you guys to be worried about me..._ Sakura thought to herself.

" Chiharu-chan, I think you need to get Takashi-kun to the infirmary... " Tomoyo who was quiet all this time suddenly cut in. " I think he has a stomachache. " She gestured.

Upon hearing this, Chiharu turned to her side and saw that the moron who was laughing non-stop a while ago, was now lying on the chair groaning in pain. " Serves you right, ya fruit loot! " She scolded her boyfriend as she stood up and practically dragged him all the way out of the cafeteria with most of the students staring at them. They didn't know whether they should laugh or sympathize for Yamazaki. " I'll see you guys in class! " She informed as she turned around to Sakura and the others who were now sweat-dropped and waved.

After waving the couple goodbye, Sakura and Tomoyo excused themselves as Sakura said that she have paper work to submit, followed by Eriol who intended to go to the library from the very beginning. As the others left, Naoko and Rika stayed behind at the cafeteria to finish their meals.

* * *

" Thanks for helping me out a while ago, Tomoyo-chan! I really owe you one now! " Sakura thanked her cousin profusely.

" You're welcome. " She smiled at Sakura understandingly. She knew her cousin since they were toddlers. Sakura is the kind of person that didn't like others to be worrying about her as she didn't want to trouble others. What Sakura fears most other than scary things was she didn't like others to know about her weakness. Being strong and tough has always been Sakura's way to live. That is, after that incident... Tomoyo shook her head as she tends to get rid of that thought.

As they reached the Student Council room, Sakura went in and submitted her paper work while Tomoyo excused herself as she has other business to attend to. In the Student Council room, members of the club gathered around as Sakura sat at her place in front of everyone.

" Here's the documents. Check them and submit it to the headmistress. " She handed out the folder containing the paper work that she had finished.

" Yes, Kaichou-sama. " Nakuru Akizuki who was the Student Council secretary said as she received it and continued, " By the way, there are some things that we need to discuss now. "

" Yes, we have received reports about some trouble makers causing havoc last Thursday. It happened after school. " Spinnel Sun who held the position as the disciplinary department executive reported as he flipped through the papers.

" Besides that, we have some requests to fulfill. The baseball club requested hiring a new well-trained coach as they are going to participate in the upcoming national baseball match which is about 3 months away. " The sports department executive, Shizuka Domeki added. " And also, the archery club requested changes in their archery range to be done by next Friday as they need to resume their usual practice. "

" Kaichou-sama, some students complained that there aren't any new books being added into our school's library collection lately. " Watanuki Kimihiro, the executive of the library department spoke as he handed out a list. " Here is the list of books that students suggested. "

Like an everyday routine, Sakura examined the reports she received from the other members and concluded all the solution. " First, Spinnel-kun, write down the name of those rule breakers and I will let Kaho sensei who is in charge of the disciplinary department see to it. " She handed Spinnel a paper and turned to Domeki as she continued, " Here, inform the president of the baseball club that a new coach will present himself in their following baseball practice next Wednesday. While you're at it, please stop by the archery club and inform the president that they can resume their practice by next Wednesday. " She said as she wrote two notice to the presidents of those club as to assure them that everything is under control. Lastly, she signed the list given by Watanuki and said as she passed the paper back to him, " Inform those students that I will submit their requests to Yuuko sensei and it'll be done in two weeks time. "

" Hai, Kaichou-sama! " They replied in unison and proceeded to their work.

Sakura watched as the other members went on with their assignments given by her earlier. Then, she went and sat at the couch near the window. Looking out from the Student Council Meeting Room, she gazed over the school compound and she stumbled upon the school garden which is at the opposite of the main campus. That garden is said to be the most beautiful place in the entire school compound. In the centre of the garden, there is a huge cherry blossom tree. It is said that before the academy was founded, the tree was already there. So in the end, the contractors decided not to chop down the tree but instead reconstructed the whole place into a beautiful garden with hedges surrounding the tree. And now, the garden was full of autumn color leaves and the scenery was breathtaking. As she was enjoying the lovely scenery, something caught her eye. Under the tree, there was a familiar figure. She looked closer and saw that it was the new student, Li Syaoran, the very one that got her into a whole lot of trouble. _It's that guy! Grrr... If he doesn't want to help me out, he could have just told me instead of being so mean! That's it! I'm going to give him a piece of my mind!_ She decided to confront him as she was mad that even though she swallowed her pride and pleaded with him, he refused to lend her a hand. She turned back towards the other club members who were currently busy and informed them that she had to be someplace else. With that, she left the meeting room and headed straight towards the school garden.

* * *

CLAMP High's magnificent garden which is called the Ueno garden, is the perfect place for those who are in need of some peace and tranquil. Under the shade of the huge cherry blossom tree, there was a boy with chestnut hair lying on the soft brown mix with green grass. He appeared to be taking a cat nap while the other students were doing their own activities during recess. From the look on his calm expression, it seems that he is enjoying the moment. It was such a nice weather as it turned out to be a windy day. The autumn breeze was cool and the air surrounded by Mother nature was fresh. The light wind picked up and the fall color leaves danced along the flow of wind blow like they were humming a soft lullaby. Inhaling the fragrance of the serenity, Syaoran couldn't help but continue closing his eyes to listen to the sound of the wind and the sound of the flowing water from the fountain. It was just perfect, no annoying girls and no irritating teachers, just the peaceful sound of nature. Everything was fine until...

" Hey! You there! " A female's voice called. It sounded more like yelling.

Syaoran opened his eyes and sat up while stretching himself. He let out a yawn and rubbed his eyes as he turned towards the source of that annoying voice. A figure came into the picture, he was surprised to see that it was that girl, Sakura who sat in front him during class. Although he was startled a while ago when she pulled him towards her friends, he kept his face impassive. He decided not to get involved in troublesome matters. After he looked up at Sakura who looked like she was upset with something, Syaoran stood up, patting away the dust.

" You! Why'd you have to do that just now? " Sakura demanded angrily as she pointed her finger towards Syaoran, who humiliated her.

" Tch... " Syaoran grunted and gave her an icy look. Then, he turned away from her as he was about to go someplace else.

Looking dumbfounded as her question was ignored, not to mention, the guy didn't even bother to acknowledge her presence, Sakura grabbed his hand instinctively, forcing him to turn towards her, then she yelled, " I said-! " Before she could even begin to utter another word, Syaoran shook off her grip and took hold of her wrist instead. As he slowly begin to close their distance, Sakura who was now cautious towards Syaoran as she was not sure what the guy is up to this time backed away until she felt her back was up against the tree. In the end, Sakura realized that Syaoran had pinned her against the tree and as she tried to get away from him, she felt that his grip grew stronger every time she tried to struggle. " What are you- " Sakura was about to throw a punch at the guy who now is trying to do something weird to her, strangely she stopped as he held up her chin and looked her closely into her eyes. Their lips were just a few centimeters away and instead of defending herself, Sakura was now blushing furiously and she couldn't think straight. She felt that she was going to faint as she was breathing heavily. She didn't experience such intimacy with anyone else before and now she felt like her whole body was paralyzed. She wanted to punch this pervert but her body didn't seem to respond to her thoughts. _Ugh... Move, Sakura! Move!_ Sakura shouted inwardly as she was trying to break away from Syaoran's grasp. But it was futile as he was stronger and now he's moving closer to her. _Oh no, he's going to kiss me! Noooooo!_ Sakura screamed inwardly as she gave up struggling and shut her eyes tight. After a while, she didn't felt anything on her lips as it was supposed to. Then, she opened up her eyes and she gazed deep into those familiar brown eyes. Again, that weird feeling of familiarity returned.

" L-Let go of me! You...you pervert! " Sakura struggled. She had no idea what this new guy is thinking. All she knew was if she doesn't get herself out of this situation, her heart would probably explode as she felt she was getting more and more out of breath.

Looking at her flustered expression, Syaoran chuckled as he let go of her hand and took a step back.

Sakura collapsed onto the ground, her legs were wobbly and she couldn't stand up straight. " W-What were y-you trying to d-do? " She stammered in embarrassment. Her cheeks were bright red and she looked flustered.

" Nothing. " Ignoring Sakura's question, Syaoran who was now grinning mysteriously, turned away and leave.

Watching him leaving her behind, Sakura felt angry that she was ignored yet again, but somehow, deep in her heart, she felt sad at the fact that his shadow looked so lonely. " Sad? Ugh, what is wrong with you, Sakura? " She asked herself in dismay.

* * *

As the hours passed by, school was finally over for the day. Teachers left the class as they reminded the students to finish their assignments, students bid goodbyes towards each other at the school gate. The sun was beginning to set as the evening hours arrived.

" Bye, everyone! See ya tomorrow! " Chiharu waved towards her friends, Rika and others as she sat into her limousine along with her boyfriend, Yamazaki who seemed to have recovered from his stomachache.

" See you, Chiharu-chan! " Rika said while Tomoyo and the rest of the others waved back at Chiharu.

After Chiharu and Yamazaki left the gang, the others, especially Naoko suggested to drop a visit at the newly opened cafe which is nearby the school. They have been planning to try out the cafe's delicious sweets and cakes.

" Naoko-chan. I'd love to go but I've got chores to do today... " Sakura declined the offer as she remembered that it is her turn to clean the house. " Gomen-ne... " She apologised.

" It's alright, Sakura-chan. We'll go together some other time. " Naoko said understandingly.

" Thanks, Naoko-chan. " Sakura smiled at her gratefully. Then she turned around and hugged Tomoyo. " Bye, Tomoyo-chan. " She said as she turned around and was preparing to leave.

" See you guys! " She waved back at them and strutted towards the alley.

The night began to set in as the evening passed by quickly and Sakura was heading home. Just now, after recess ended, she went back to class but she didn't told anyone including Tomoyo, about what happened earlier in the school garden. It's not something that she could just go around and tell her friends about it. Not only was it embarrassing for her, it was also very strange as to why she felt sad when Syaoran walked away from her. She felt a strange sense of longing in his presence. She was positive that she have never met Syaoran anywhere before or maybe... she did but she couldn't pin point where and when exactly did they met each other before. _Nah, we couldn't possibly meet each other before..._ Sakura changed her mind. Aside from all that, something else was bothering her. _Yes, it's that weird feeling!_ Why does she always felt that she had known Syaoran for ages? The whole thing was just so bizarre... Sakura asked herself as she was trying to figure out where the problem is.

Suddenly, as she walked past the Penguin Park, she heard some noises. She stopped to listen carefully and it sounded like someone's trying to pick a fight. It is already late evening and walking alone in the streets would be dangerous for a teenage girl like her. Luckily, she took up Aikido lessons when she was little. If those strangers were to lay a finger on her, she'll be happy to treat them 'well'. But, it isn't good for a person like her to get into fights because that would ruin her reputation as a top model student in school. So, she ignored the noises and walked straight ahead. However, a voice made her stopped from taking another step forward.

" Get lost. " The voice was full of menace. It was such a familiar voice.

At the beginning, Sakura decided not to involve herself into some unnecessary matters. However, curiosity got the best of her as she changed her mind and decided to take a peek. She tip toed towards the trees and she saw there were a few figures surrounding someone in the middle of the pathway. As she crept closer towards them, their voices grew louder and she quickly squatted down and hid herself among the bushes nearby. After finding a safe spot to hide herself, Sakura listened closely to their conversation and tried to get a better view of those faces.

" C'mon, kid. Pay us some cash and we'll let you through. " The figure who was beside the guy said. _They're gangsters!_ Sakura concluded the whole situation.

" Yeah, you'd better pay us, kid! " One of the gangster sounded like a sly rat and Sakura hated that. She hated those who are useless losers especially fleabags like these in the society.

" Or else... " One of the gangsters cracked his knuckles and he looked like he was preparing to beat up the poor guy.

" I warned you once. " The guy glared at the gangsters.

That voice... Could it be...? Sakura tilted her head and looked closely at the guy while hiding in the bushes. Now that it was already night time, the lamp posts had been lit on and she can see their faces clearly. It was Syaoran! Sakura was surprised to find him here. _Why is he here? Shouldn't he be at home by now? Wait... Why should I even bother? He humiliated me earlier during recess!_ Sakura thought angrily.

" Why you little brat! " The gangster with a scar on his face threw a punch at the guy but a surprising thing happened. As he threw a punch straight towards Syaoran, Syaoran grabbed his fist and the guy couldn't move it anymore.

" Get. Lost. " Syaoran repeated icily as he enforced his tight grip on the guy's fist making the guy fall to his knees as he groaned in pain.

" Argh... You little... " The guy raised his other fist and attacked Syaoran.

Syaoran dodged his attack as he let go of the guy's fist and with full momentum, he gave the guy a heavy uppercut. The guy fell onto the ground and his mouth began to bleed. " What are you idiots doing standing there? GET HIM! " One of the thugs commanded the others.

The rest of them launched themselves towards Syaoran and he didn't seem to be scared despite the fact that he was clearly outnumbered. There were five other gangsters while the other one who was lying on the floor, bleeding, appeared to be their leader.

_Run, you idiot, run!_ Sakura screamed inwardly, hoping that Syaoran would realize what kind of danger he was in.

On the other hand, Syaoran didn't run away, instead, he went ahead and fought those gangsters. One of them threw a punch at Syaoran but he evaded their attacks swiftly and countered the guy with a hard punch right in the face. The other gangster with bleached hair was about to kick Syaoran but Syaoran grabbed the person's leg and threw another hard punch against the shank, literally breaking the guy's leg. Another one with spiky hair came behind Syaoran but got countered in the end with a shot at the ribs which put him on the ground, groveling in pain. Eventually, the rest of them charged towards Syaoran. As their attacks kept coming, Syaoran who looked like he had good experience in fighting, dodged their attacks swiftly and countered them with hard punches and kicks.

_Wow, never knew he could fight so well..._Sakura thought as she was impressed by Syaoran's abilities.

While Syaoran was busy fighting, he didn't notice that the leader creeping behind him, preparing a sneak attack. He was holding something in his hand.

Sakura who had been keeping her eye on the leader, stared in horror as what she saw that he was holding was a knife. He was going to slash Syaoran with it, whom was busy fighting and not noticing the danger lurking behind him. _At this rate, he'll get hurt! I have to do something!_ Sakura thought worriedly. There was no time to panic and without hesitation, Sakura ran out of her hiding place and shouted, " LOOK OUT! " At that moment, Syaoran immediately turned to his back, he was shocked to see that it was Sakura.

**Sakura's POV**

It all happened in a split second. What was I thinking? Charging into a fight which wasn't any of my concern in the first place and now I'm risking my life for someone that I've just met? I must be out of my mind to act so rashly! Never mind that, a person's life is at stake and I just can't sit there and do nothing. So, I ran towards Syaoran and pushed him away, attempting to deliver a punch towards the sly rat. Luckily I've taken Aikido lessons or else I would've been a goner! As I was about to grab his wrist and hit him in the face, someone caught my arm and pulled me aside. It made the leader who was holding onto the knife miss his target. I turned to see that person and I was shocked to see that it was Syaoran! What the heck? I was supposed to cover his back and now I'm being covered instead?

" What the heck were you doing? " I yelled. "You could've been hurt!"

" I should ask you the same thing. " Syaoran smirked in amusement.

As I was about to yell at him for scaring me like that, something flashed across my eyes as I saw a sinister shadow rose behind Syaoran. Argh, it's that jerk! And he's about to slash Syaoran with that knife! " WATCH OUT! " Without thinking about the consequences, my body reacted on its own as I grabbed Syaoran by the hand and turned myself around with my back facing the attacker. As I shut my eyes tight as I prepared myself to take that hit; a strange thing happened. I didn't feel any pain as I was supposed to, but instead, when I opened my eyes, I realized that I was in someone's arms. As I slowly raise my head, those familiar brown orbs came into the picture. " I-Idiot! Why did you do that? " I stammered in shock and I could feel my hands trembling in fear as I looked at Syaoran. His face looked awful as he grimaced, " You really are annoying. " Then, as I looked down, I saw something dripping on the ground. I looked closely and I was terrified. It was blood, crimson red blood dripping from the hem of Syaoran's school uniform.

" LI-KUN, YOU'RE BLEEDING! " I shrieked in horror and tried to struggle out of his grip as I tried to turn him around to examine his wound. Tears begin to well up in my eyes as I looked at my hand stained with Syaoran's blood. I have to treat his wound immediately! " Li-kun- " Before I could even utter another word, I was shoved aside and as I fell onto the ground, I looked up and saw that he was standing in front of me. He was protecting me instead!

" Wrong move, punk! " He sneered maliciously as he cracked his knuckles. His eyes were those of a predator. A dangerous and deadly one.

Even though he was injured and his back was bleeding, Syaoran punched and kicked the guy brutally as the other gangsters were lying on the floor, moaning and groaning in pain. After beating up the leader, Syaoran gave a swift kick to the abdomen and grinned menacingly at the guy that was now clutching onto his stomach in pain.

" Scumbag! " He scowled coldly as he stomped the guy for a finishing touch.

" Li-kun! " I quickly got myself together and ran towards him. " Are you alright? You're hurt! " I asked worriedly as I put my hand on his shoulder while examining the wound at his back. Fortunately, there wasn't any vital parts that were injured and the wound wasn't very deep but it was bleeding non-stop.

" You're annoying. Go away. " He looked irritated and in pain as he turned away from me and was about to walk away.

" No, you're not going anywhere in that condition. " I grabbed him by the wrist. " It's my fault that you got hurt. Please, let me treat your wound! It's the least I can do! " I said sternly.

" I don't need that... " He shook off my grip and began to limped slowly off.

Just a while ago, I saw his face was turning pale rapidly and I can't just let him walk home in that condition. I have to get his wound treated or he'll pass out due to the loss of too much blood. " Li-kun! Li-kun! " I yelled from behind and to my horror, he collapsed right in front of me! " LI-KUN! " I screamed as I ran towards him.

**End Of Sakura's POV**

* * *

**A/N** : Do review and thanks for reading.


	4. Chapter 3 A Visit

**DISCLAIMER :** I do not own any of the characters in CLAMP Production nor do I claim to own them.

* * *

**Yubikiri ****ゆびきり**

**Chapter 3 A Visit**

The houses in Tomoeda are simply built in rows and most of the terrace houses looked quite similar. In one of the houses, a female figure could be seen from the window and she looked like she was busy doing something.

**Sakura's POV**

" Sheesh! Never knew he could be that heavy! " I complained as I loosen up my shoulders after carrying Syaoran who passed out all the way back to my house. At first, I planned to drag him to the clinic or the hospital, not that I mind carrying him but there were no health facilities nearby the park. So in the end, I decided to carry him back home so that I can get his wounds treated as soon as possible. It was because of me that he got wounded... I really didn't expect that it would all turn out like this. I thought that if I could just get rid of the attacker that was holding a knife by giving him a surprise attack, everything would be fine but guess it ended up the other way around... This is entirely my fault! I shouldn't have hide myself in the bushes and do nothing! I should've called the police or anyone that could lend in a hand... He wouldn't have gotten hurt if I acted sooner... Thinking of that, I stared down guiltily at my lifesaver who was now lying unconscious on the couch. As I continued to stare at him, I realized I forgot something. " Great! How am I gonna explain to Dad and Nii-tan? " I asked myself in frustration. (Sigh)… I got so caught up with everything that I forgot to think of an explanation. After laying Syaoran at the couch, I went to the kitchen in search of the first aid kit while figuring out a reasonable excuse for carrying a new classmate back home, let alone the new classmate turned out to be a guy! After taking out the first aid kit from the cupboard, I saw a note on the refrigerator. It was Dad. It said,

Sakura,

Won't be back tonight. Have to finish up some archaeology research at Towa University. Remember to keep the leftovers in the fridge.

Love, Dad.

At the sight of that note, I sighed in relieve because now, I don't have to worry about explaining to Dad. " Glad that's settled! But, what about Niii-tan...? " I asked myself again. Getting through Nii-tan will be quite a troublesome matter right now. As I grabbed the first aid kit and left the kitchen, the house phone rang and I quickly went to the living room to answer the call.

" Moshi-moshi? "

" Sakura-chan, it's me. " The voice said.

Immediately, I recognized that voice. " Yukito-san! How are you? " I was delighted that Yukito called. He's like a second elder brother to me and I could just tell him anything. I've always liked to chat with him but tonight, I've got things to deal with so, as much as I hate it, I have to cut the conversation short.

" Fine, thanks. " Yukito answered. " What about you? ".

" Fine too. Thanks for asking. " I replied happily. " Anyways, why'd you call? Is it about Nii-tan? " Ah, forgot to mention one thing, when Yukito calls, it is always about my annoying big brother. Poor Yukito! He always ended up cleaning the mess left by Nii-tan. It's a wonder that the both of them could stay as good friends for such a long time.

" You're welcome, Sakura-chan and yes, it's about Toya. He asked me to pass you this message. He said that he's going to stay over at his senior's house cause they have to work on some school project. So, he won't be coming home tonight. " Yukito informed.

" I see... " . Yes! Now I don't have to worry about explaining to any of them about this whole complicated situation. " Thanks- " As I was about to thank Yukito, I heard someone moaned and turned around only to find that Syaoran who was lying on the couch moaned painfully in unconsciousness. Oh no! I forgot to treat his wound. I quickly answered, " Yukito-san, thanks so much for the info. Um... I'll talk to you next time, okay? " I said hastily.

" Oh, okay. " He replied. " Oyasumi-nasai, Sakura-chan. "

" Oyasumi-nasai. " Then, I hung up the phone and hurried over to the couch with the first aid kit.

" Ugh... " Syaoran groaned in pain.

He looked terrible as the wound is still hurting him! I have to hurry! I quickly soaked a cloth and as I was about to give him a good wipe, I remembered something. Something that I wished I could just forget about it. In order to clean his wound behind his back, I'll have to... At the thought of that, I could have sworn my face was turning red by the second. " I'll have to(gulp) take off his shirt... " I swallowed. No no no! There must be another way to do this! I don't wanna go around stripping an unconscious guy off his clothes!

" Ugh... " Syaoran who was still unconscious, groaned in pain.

" No! There's no time to think! " I told myself. After looking at Syaoran who was now knitting his brows, I gave up. " Desperate time calls for desperate measures. Sumimasen, Li-kun! " Then, I shut my eyes tight as I reached out to unbutton his clothes. After taking off his shirt, I blushed furiously as I opened my eyes. Looking at his bare chest, I quickly took the wet cloth and wipe away the blood stains and some dirt. Wow... I never knew he was this fit and he has tanned skin. Not to mention those perfectly sculpted muscles… Even Nii-tan doesn't have much of that… At the thought of that, I jerked my head up immediately. Wait... (Gulp)What am I thinking? Skin? Muscles? Argh, Sakura, get a hold of yourself! I yelled inwardly as I shook my head furiously. I cannot allow those thoughts to wander off any further! The whole time while I was doing this, I kept distracting myself by thinking the hectic schedule I'm having for tomorrow.

After a few minutes, Syaoran was nicely bandaged and was now lying on the couch. I didn't know why, but I felt a sense of relieve to see that his wound was treated and he seems to be doing fine... for now... Looking at the time, I realized that I haven't even cleaned up after myself yet. So, I went upstairs and took a shower. By the time I was done with everything, there was only the assignment given by left to do. While I was doing the assignment in the living room, Syaoran didn't seem to be regaining conscious at all. Well, at least he's breathing evenly. Even after I did my school work and it was time for bed, he was still unconscious. I wanted go to my bedroom but somehow, I just couldn't leave him alone in the living room. In the end, I tugged him in with a blanket and I sat on the floor as I watched him. Normally, I find that he looked kinda mature when he was knitting his brows like he has something in mind. But now, he looked just like a typical seventeen years old guy when he's sleeping so soundly. I was holding onto my pillow as I gazed at his face, he looked so calm and... familiar. " Why do I always get the feeling that I've met him somewhere before...? " I asked myself in drowsiness.

The long night seemed to have set in and the lamp posts on the streets continued to shine. I watched him closely as I began to yawn and finally, I drifted away into slumber. " Oyasumi-nasai, Li-kun... "

**End of Sakura's POV**

* * *

The sun had awakened from its slumber and morning has arrived. The autumn wind was breezy and cooling and there was fog veiling the windows. In the midst of the cloudy sky, the sun shines glaringly bright and the morning rays entered the house for a moment, sent its sudden stare over the couch and wall in the living room. On the couch, there was a boy with chestnut hair and he appeared to have been bandaged. He was sleeping and as the pleasantly warm sunlight touched his face, he twitted his brows as he reluctantly came to consciousness. Staring at the ceiling, Syaoran found himself lying on a couch. After examined his surroundings, he came to a conclusion that somehow, he ended up here, in somebody's home. As he sat up strenuously and looked around, his eyes fell upon a figure beside him. It was a girl and she was lying on the floor, sleeping soundly. He looked closer and immediately, he recognized her. It was that Kinomoto girl again. Then, he looked at his body and was surprised to find that it was bandaged nicely. The last thing he could recall was he was taking a walk at the park where he came across some thugs. They stirred up a fight and lost. Syaoran jerked his head up as he remembered something. He was busy fighting when one of them tried to ambush him with a knife, then...

_"LOOK OUT!"_

Then, this girl came into the picture. She tried to cover his back but in the end, he took the hit and injured himself. Syaoran turned to have a look at his back and he felt a staggering pain. He didn't know why he reacted that way last night when he saw that she was in danger. The moment he saw that she was about to be slash, his body reacted on his own as he pulled her into his arms and turned himself around. He shielded her with his back as the knife cut through his flesh. Then, he shoved her away only to keep her out of harm's way before finishing off the dirtbag. Even though he knew that his wound was bleeding, he refused to turn to her. He didn't want her to worry about him and he didn't want to see the look of concern on her face. He never wanted to rely on anyone. But, as he stumbled himself away from her, he began to feel dizzy and light-headed. He knew he was losing blood but at that time, he thought he could endure the pain. However, he collapsed and passed out. Now, he has awakened and only to find himself in her house. Syaoran stood up and looked down at her face, she looked so restless. Judging from the damp cloth laying beside the first aid kit, she must be staying up all night, taking care of him while he was unconscious.

" Mmm... Okasan... " Sakura murmured.

Syaoran was surprised to see that Sakura was mumbling in her sleep and she seemed to be dreaming about her mother. He was puzzled as to why would Sakura be sleep talking about her mother. He limped over to the end of the couch to grab his school uniform. As he passed by the piano, he saw that there were a lot of pictures placed on it. As he looked closer, he noticed all the pictures were of the same woman. A woman with long, dark hair and an enchanting smile was pictured in most of the frames. She looked very elegant and amiable as she smiled in those pictures. Syaoran examined the pictures and slowly came to realize the reason behind Sakura's bizarre sleep talking a while ago. As he turned around, he saw that she was still deep in slumber. He walked strenuously in light steps towards her and covered her huddled body with a blanket as she was shivering. Then, he turned around and spotted a memo pad and a pen beside the telephone. After Syaoran grabbed his belongings, he left the room and stood outside of the house as he looked at the time. It was seven in the morning. He reached for his cellphone and made a phone call.

" Wei, did you return my car to the manor yesterday? " Syaoran asked as he looked around the neighborhood. It was early in the morning and there weren't much activities going on around the block.

" Certainly, Syaoran-sama. " The old man's voice answered respectfully.

" Come and pick me up now. " Syaoran ordered as he could not walk all the way home with a wounded back.

" As you wish, Syaoran-sama. " Wei replied as he jots down the address given by Syaoran.

* * *

Some time later, Sakura turned to her side as she woke up. She blinked her emerald orbs slowly as she sobered up. Rubbing her eyes as she sat up, Sakura noticed that the person who was supposed to be lying on the couch was gone. She also found herself covered with a blanket.

" Where is he? " She looked around the house as she let out a yawn. " Li-kun! " She called out as she stood up. _Where exactly is that guy? He can't be walking around in his current condition…_ Just then, she noticed a note on the coffee table. _A note...? Did he leave it?_ She walked over and picked it up. It said,

Rest for the day. I'll get you a permission from the principal.

Syaoran.

Sakura stared at the note for quite some time, trying to figure out all those words. " That guy... " Sakura said as she looked over the living room and the dining room, there was no sight of him. It surprised her that a guy with such a cold nature like him could be considerate at certain times. " He left. But how...? " Sakura asked herself. " His wound... " She'd never thought that he would be concern of her well being by getting her a day off from school. _Wait... Concern? That's ridiculous... And how in the world is he going to get permission from the principal? He's just a new student! Then again, what am I so worked up about?_ Sakura thought to herself as she felt awkward. _Might as well listen to him, for now. Maybe I'm stress out, that's all. Yup, that must be it…_

And so, for the whole day, Sakura was absent as she stayed at home.

* * *

The next morning, as usual, Sakura walked to school. She was planning to thank Syaoran for saving her but he wasn't present. At first, she thought that he was skipping classes so she went all over the school in search of him. She had looked everywhere. The rooftop, the Ueno Garden, the library and she can't find him anywhere.

" Mmm... Maybe he's at home... " Sakura said to herself. " I wonder if he's recovering or not... "

" Who's recovering, Sakura-chan? " Tomoyo popped out all of sudden and asked.

Sakura could swear that her heart skipped a beat when she heard Tomoyo. " Tomoyo-chan, you scare me! Please don't do that again. " She said as she patted her chest to calm herself down.

" Hehe, I didn't know that. Sorry! " She giggled.

" It's fine. " Sakura smiled at her.

" So, who were you talking about just now? " Tomoyo questioned.

" Oh, it's nothing. " Sakura answered. She didn't tell her cousin about the 'after school incident' as she didn't want to trouble her. " Hey, Tomoyo-chan, I gotta be at the Student Council Meeting. See you later. " She hugged Tomoyo and left.

" Okay. " Tomoyo watched as Sakura ran off to the Student Council Room. The truth is, she met her neighbor, Syaoran this morning. Yes, it's been years since the Li's manor is built right next to the Daidouji's. He has been her neighbor for years and she knew very well that he would confront her sooner or later. Then, as expected, he showed up at the front door this morning. Tomoyo felt bad for the both of them as she thought back about her conversation with Syaoran.

**-Tomoyo's Flashback-**

Tomoyo was having breakfast as she sat by the window in her bedroom this morning when one of the maids informed her that someone was at the door demanding to see her immediately. So, she went downstairs and the person that she was expecting was sitting in the living room.

" Li-kun, I've been expecting you. " Tomoyo improvised as she gestured the maids to serve up some tea and cakes.

" You always do. " Syaoran returned as he put down the magazine that he was reading while he was waiting for her arrival.

" Get an absence permission from your aunt. " He started.

" Well, for who? " Tomoyo asked in curiosity.

" Sakura Kinomoto. " He answered flatly while looking at her with circumspection while the maid returned to the room with a tray of cookies and two cups of tea.

Surprise flickered across Tomoyo's face but she kept a stolid face as she nodded her head. Then, she examined him and saw that he was bandaged. She asked, " What happened to you? " She eyed him cautiously. She figured it must have something to do with his earlier request.

" Nothing. " He replied as he knew that she was trying to change the topic. " Don't try to change the subject. " He warned.

Tomoyo smiled as she saw what was coming ahead. " I assumed that you want to ask me about something. Is it about school? Have you gotten used to the environment? " She asked leisurely as she took a sip of tea. " Have a taste of this Darjeeling tea, Li-kun. Mother bought them specially for you when she heard that you were coming back. "

Glaring at Tomoyo, Syaoran scowled, " Don't pretend you don't know what I'm here for. " His tone was dead serious. " You know very well about the reason why I'm here. "

Tomoyo recomposed herself as she knew that the person in front of her knows her true nature well. She put on a expressionless face and continued, " I believed I had already told you. " She looked at him with cold, piercing eyes as she put down the cup, " She had settled down in the States years ago; you can't find her here. "

As if he remembered something, Syaoran was silent for that moment. Refusing to admit the truth, he was stubborn as he ignored Tomoyo's statement.

" How many times do I need to repeat myself, Li-kun? I'm getting tired of this. You should have already known by now that you're the only legal successor to your late father and you can't act like a child anymore. Your mother needs you, everyone in the company needs you! " Tomoyo criticized icily. " Things have changed over the years, Syaoran. You have a huge responsibility. " She has to do this. It is... for the sake of the both of them. Finally losing her cool, Tomoyo yelled, " Grow up! "

Syaoran remained silent as he stared at Tomoyo with disbelieving eyes. For years, he had been searching for that girl and yet, he still couldn't manage to find her. Ever since he took over his late father's finance company, he was left with the tremendous wealth and the authority as the head of the corporation. With that, he was able to hired private investigators to search for her but the results were the same. She was nowhere to be found and now Tomoyo is calling him childish? He wouldn't give a damn about what the others think!

" I know that you missed her very much but, Li-kun, you have to let her go. " Tomoyo said gravely. " She will never come back. " She slammed those cruel words right into his face. She has to pull him back to reality and reality was harsh.

Syaoran's facial expression immediately changed the moment he heard Tomoyo's statement. He glared at her before saying, " I will never give up on her and you know that. I will find her. It's just a matter of time." He said with a strong sense of determination as he shot Tomoyo with fiery eyes. Syaoran saw that Tomoyo wasn't responding, he stood up and walked towards the door. Before he reached for the doorknob, he turned around and grimaced, " I know that you're the reason behind her disappearance years ago when I left Japan and you know that I knew it when I went in search for her. I can tell you this, you can't hide her forever, Tomoyo. Never forget that the Daidouji Corporation is under the authority of my late father. I will make sure that plastered smile of yours cracks when I find out the truth. Just you wait and see. " With that, he stormed out the room as he slammed the door in rage.

Tomoyo said nothing more as she watched him left the house. " You will never understand how I feel, Li-kun. " She murmured to herself. It hurts her so much as she tried her best to separate the both of them. She had told him those harsh words hundreds and hundreds of times and still, he was so determined and persistent. She wished that she could just reunite the both of them but unfortunately, she can't and she won't. She will protect her dear cousin by all means. Sakura had suffered enough and it's time for her to start over a new life where she can be happy and carefree. It grieved her as she has to be cruel and heartless into giving Sakura what's best for her. Tears rolled down her cheeks and as she looked up, she choked, " Who ever said that lifting your head up would stop the tears from pouring out...? "

**-End of Tomoyo's Flashback-**

* * *

It was Saturday and Sakura decided to drop by a visit at Syaoran's place. She couldn't find him anywhere in school that day so she went to the Staff Room. She got Syaoran's address from their homeroom teacher. Normally, teachers aren't allowed to give away students' personal details as that would mean violation of personal privacy. But, Mr. Terada made an exception for Sakura since she gave him her word that she had important business to attend to. After traveling all the way to Syaoran's house by a cab, Sakura was now standing in front of a huge mansion. She looked up at the main gate of the manor and it was ten times the size of her!

" Another rich guy... " Sakura let out a long sigh as she looked around the compound. She had well adapt herself to the wealthy environment in CLAMP High. _Well, it is a school for rich students._ Sakura thought inwardly as she looked at the paper with Syaoran's address written on it as to double check whether or not she is at the right place. " Tomoyo never told me that Syaoran is her neighbor... " Sakura said to herself as she thought the whole thing through. Throughout the whole thing, what surprises her most was Syaoran turned out to be living right next to Tomoyo. _But then again, I didn't ask her. I bet that's why she didn't tell._ Sakura concluded the situation. As Sakura continued to observe the surroundings, she saw the door bell on the wall beside the grand gate. She pressed the button and a person appeared on the screen which was beside it.

" Name, please. " An old man in is 40s who was dressed in a guard uniform asked.

" Sakura Kinomoto. " Sakura answered. _Definitely a rich guy! He even got himself a personal security guard! Does he even know how much these kinds of services costs?_

" Are you of any acquaintance with the Li residence? " The guard asked again as he examined Sakura. " Have you made any appointments? "

" Yes, I'm a classmate of Li Syaoran and no, I didn't made an appointment but I'm here to visit him. " Sakura answered politely.

The guard checked a list and looked up. " Ah, yes. Miss Kinomoto, come in, come in. Wei has been expecting you. "

_Wei? Who's that?_ Sakura asked herself inwardly. The grand gate opened and Sakura walked in as she tried to figure out who the Wei guy is.

The Li's residence was located near the hills in the forest of Tomoeda. It is surrounded by Mother Nature and the landscape was magnificent. Apart from that, there was a huge and beautiful garden built outside the manor. The flowers and plants were planted in traditional Japanese style. In the center of the lovely garden, there was a little house that looked like those in the Showa Era. Beside it, there was a pond with lots of Japanese coil fish swimming in it. On the other side of the garden, there was a car porch and a swimming pool.

_Wow! His house is so huge and luxurious. _Sakura thought to herself as she passed by the garden. Then, at the corner of her eyes, she noticed something oddly familiar. It was a black object in the car porch. She looked closer and immediately, she recognized it. It was a black Lamborghini and it wasn't just any black Lamborghini, it's the very one which nearly ran over her that morning. _Please tell me this isn't the stupid car that nearly ran over me and ruined my morning... _She pleaded inwardly as she approached closer and she examined the number plate. _It really is that idiot's car! Whoever this is, he is so gonna be in so much trouble when I get my hands on him!_ She snapped inwardly. As Sakura stomped towards the manor, she was greeted by two rows of maids as an aging tall man with grey hair and a mustache walked towards her. _What a way to welcome your guest! Ten maids in each row? And I guess this must be the person the security guard mentioned a while ago… _Sakura thought inwardly as she looked at the old butler._ Hmm… Strange…_ _I'm not sure why but I have a strong feeling that his name should be either 'Sebastian' or 'Alfred'…_

" Irasshai mase, Miss Kinomoto. I am Wang Wei. I served under the Li household for many years. " The old butler who was wearing a pair of spectacles bowed with respect as he continued, " You must be the one that took care of young master when he was wounded. You have my deepest gratitude. "

" I-It's nothing. " Sakura bowed her head nervously as she didn't expect this. " By the way, do you have any idea who the black Lamborghini belongs to? " She faked a smiled as she asked.

" Pardon me, Miss Kinomoto. But may I know the reason behind this? " Wei asked in curiosity.

" Oh, it's nothing. I just happened to pass by the car porch and I _really_ adore that car. " She lied. _Oh, yes, I really adore it because it's gonna lead me to the block head who is so gonna be dead once he gets to know me!_ She thought as she grinned inwardly.

The old man seemed surprised and delighted after hearing Sakura's compliment. " Why, it belongs to my young master. I'm sure young master will be delighted to know that his fine taste in cars is appreciated by a beautiful young lady such as you, Miss Kinomoto. "

" Please, I'm flattered. " Sakura assured him as she smiled at the butler. _I am certain that he will be very happy once I reorganize his face! That crazy driver... _Just as Sakura began to plan a way of returning the one that caused her trouble a favor, she remembered something. _Young master… _Before coming here, she went through Syaoran's biodata when she asked Mr. Terada for Syaoran's address. It said that he lives alone here in Japan. _If he's living alone, then that means…_ After gathering up her thoughts, Sakura realized something. _Wait… Oh my gosh! That's Syaoran! Now what? Am I gonna thank him for saving my life or should I rearrange his face with my fist? Argh...! Why does things just keep getting 'better' and 'better'?_

While Sakura's face was displaying emotions of sorts, Wei, the old butler looked at her in confusion. Then, Sakura realized that she was being stared at, she quickly shook her head, telling him that it was nothing and waited for him to continue. The old man then smiled at her. " This way, please. " He gestured her.

Sakura followed the old butler down the hallway and after a few minutes, she was now sitting on the couch in the huge living room.

" Please wait for a moment. " He said as he ushered some maids to serve up some tea. " Do make yourself comfortable as Syaoran-sama readies himself. " Wei informed as he excused himself.

As Sakura was left alone in the room, she looked around room. It appeared to be furnished in a noble and exquisite Western style. _Wow! There's a grand piano too! I bet it's custom made…_ Sakura thought in amazement. After waiting for a long time, Sakura was beginning to puzzle as to why it would take such a long time for a person to ready himself before attending to his guests. She stood up and as she was about to head towards the door, the door opened and it was Wei. He looked troubled.

" My deepest apologies. Syaoran-sama is currently refusing to see anyone. " He bowed apologetically.

" Oh, why is that? " Sakura asked. _What! I came all the way here to thank him and now he's refusing to see anyone? Not to mention I need to give him a piece of my mind for making that morning the worst day of my life!_ Sakura was determined not to let this chance slipped away. As long as she gets to thank him and return the 'favor', well, if she could, she would only then go home in relieve. She isn't the kind of person who tends to leave things undone.

" Er... " Wei hesitated as he was trying to come up with an explanation.

" Please, let me talk to him for just a moment. I will not go back empty handed. " Sakura insisted. " Tell him it'll just be a while. "

" Well... Actually, Syaoran-sama appears to be in no condition to see anyone right now. " He admitted.

" Don't worry. Just bring me to him and I'll deal with it. " She was determined to see him at all costs.

Wei looked at her for a while and finally, he bow and said, " Very well, Miss Kinomoto, please follow me. "

As Sakura followed the old butler, she looked around the manor and saw that there were many rooms and it was all furnished luxuriously_. For a seventeen years old guy, he sure lives like a king!_ Sakura thought in amazement as she glanced up and noticed that the ceiling were all high up and decorated with the utmost detailed carvings along with grand chandeliers brightening up the atmosphere. After walking a few meters from the living room, Wei stopped in front of a room with large twin doors portraying nobility. _So this must be his room..._ Sakura thought inwardly as she looked at the door. Wei opened the door and bow. " Please, come in. " Then, Sakura walked into the room and thanked him. " Pardon me but I must excuse myself as I believed you have your business to attend to. " Wei bowed again and then left Sakura alone in the room. _Phew~! Glad that was over... Never knew living in a house this big would require a tour guide. _She thought as she looked around the room. In the room, there was a king size bed located right beside the lamp stand. And there were shelves beside the lamp stand and a sofa near the fire place. The whole room was neat and tidy. " Hmm... He seemed studious judging by the books on his shelves. Guess he must be a fan of literature. " She said to herself as she examined the collection of books placed on the shelves. Then, she remembered something and looked around the place in search of a certain someone. _Right now, I just want to get this whole thing done quickly! _Sakura thought to herself. " Anyways, where's that idiot? " She asked herself in frustration as from the moment she entered the room, Syaoran was nowhere to be seen.

Just after she mentioned those words, she heard someone opened the door. Immediately, Sakura looked around and said while crossing her arms. " It's about time you- GYAAAAA! " She turned back in an instant and hid her face bashfully as she saw a half naked guy coming out from the room which looked like a bathroom. " W-Who are y-you? " She stammered as she blushed furiously.

Syaoran who just walked out of the bathroom appeared to be wearing a pair of jeans and a towel over his shoulders. He glazed over the figure which appeared in his room. He couldn't see clearly and he couldn't tell who it was. Then he limped over to the figure as his legs appeared to be wobbly. As he approached her, he asked, " Who's (hic) there? "

Sakura heard the voice and recognized that it was Syaoran's. She turned around while covering her eyes. " That was supposed to be my line, anyways, could you go and put on something? " She pointed towards the wardrobe. "I'll be waiting outside." Then, she turned away and was about to head towards the door when out of the blue, she was grabbed by the hand.

" What? " She turned herself towards Syaoran and asked.

" You...(hic) " He looked closely at her before losing his balance and stumbled down onto the carpet.

_Why is he having hiccups?_ Sakura thought as she looked puzzled. " Li-kun, are you- " She leaned down to help him, lurched back when he opened his mouth and breathed on her. " You're drunk! " She accused loudly.

Syaoran raised his shoulders and shut his eyes. " Didja...(hic) Didja hafta... yell? " He mumbled as he climbed up and stood wobbly.

" My goodness... Get up! I can't bear to watch you standing around with wobbly legs. You look horrible! How could you be drinking when your wound is still healing? " She scolded as she helped him towards the bed. After he sat down, she demanded, " How much did you drank? "

Syaoran ignored her question and looked mussily at her face as he tried to rise to his feet, but only made it as far as his knees before he tripped and fell back down onto the side of the bed. " Hmm... " He said, peering down at the lower half of his body. " (hic) That's strange..." He lifted his face back to Sakura's and looked at her in utter confusion. " I could have (hic)sworn those (hic)were my legs... "

_Ugh! He is definitely drunk!_ Sakura thought as she rolled her eyes.

Syaoran tried out his legs again and he fell back onto the bed again. " My limbs (hic)doesn't sheem to be (hic)working properly... " He commented.

" Your brain isn't working properly! " She returned. " (sigh) You, "She pointed at him and then towards the bed. " Stay here. I'll go and get you a shirt and a glass of water. "

As Sakura turned away and started walking towards the door, Syaoran who was still drunk, glazed over her. In his blurry vision, he saw that girl. She was there! That girl who he missed so much, the one that he was searching for over the years. She was standing in front of him and now she's leaving again. " Wait... (hic) " Syaoran mumbled and grabbed her hand, pulling her towards him.

" Li-kun- " Sakura turned around in confusion as he pulled her hand.

Since Syaoran was so drunk that he couldn't even stand up properly, he didn't realized what he was doing. He pulled her so hard that Sakura fell on top of him.

**Sakura's POV**

" Itai... " I rubbed my head as I hit into something. " What now- " I grunted as I opened my eyes, then, I realized that my face was so close towards Syaoran's. I widened my eyes as I looked at him. I was in a very compromising position.

" Ouch (hic)... " Syaoran mumbled as he lied on the bed " Pain...(hic)… "

" L-Li-kun- " I stammered in embarrassment. This is so awkward! I was going to tell him to move away but I remembered something. " Ugh, he's so drunk that he couldn't even speak properly! It'll take a miracle for him to understand my language! " I muttered hopelessly as I tried to get up and shift myself away from him. The strangest thing happened as I turned around. The moment I looked at his face, I found myself gazing upon him. Those features of his face; the sharp jawline; his brown fringe; his thick brows; those brown orbits... I'd never thought he looked so... dazzling... Good gracious! What was I thinking just now? How can I stare at his face like I'm some kind of idiot? To think that I actually thought he looked charming? I must be out of my mind! Never mind that, I have to get up! Why can't I stand? As I tried to stand to my feet, Syaoran hugged me as if I was a bolster or a pillow! I looked up and saw that he was about to slip away into slumberland. I was now practically crushed into his bosom and he wouldn't let go. There was a warmth fragrance with a slight tinge of alcohol surrounding his body. Oh no! I so not want to be in the same bed with a guy who is now drunk! Not ever! The harder I tried to struggle myself out of his arms, the tighter he hugged me.

" Don't leave... " Syaoran mumbled.

" Huh?... " I was puzzled as I heard those words . Somehow, he sounded very sad… I thought to myself. Wait… What am I doing? There's no time for all these nonsense! Right now, I have to get off him! " LI-KUN! " I shouted loudly. I was hoping that by raising my voice, maybe he could snap himself out or something.

To my dismay, he ignored me and rested his chin on my head as he began to let out a yawn. " Don't go... " He mumbled with sorrow. " Ra-chan… "

Ra-chan? Who's tha- All of a sudden, I felt a sharp throbbing pain in the back of my head. Ugh… It hurts…" Li-kun… let go of me now…! " I yelled desperately as I tried to cope with my sudden headache. After a long silence, I didn't hear any mumbling and so, I looked up while enduring the headache. Great! Now he had already fallen asleep and he didn't appear to be bothered. I gritted my teeth in frustration. No no no no no! This was not how I planned to do from the start! I was only here to visit him, not to be hugged like a pillow! If only I can punch him in the face and break myself out! But then again, how do I expect myself to land a fist on a guy who was now acting like a three years old kid? The guy looked so innocent when he's drunk! Could things get any worse? As I yelled inwardly, I heard the door clicked.

**End of Sakura's POV**

As Sakura stared at the door, panicked and troubled, the door opened. To her horror, the old butler entered the room and was shocked to see them in an inappropriate posture.

_Great! I just have to ask! Now, I am so DEAD!_ Sakura shrieked inwardly as she looked at Wei in horror.

* * *

**A/N :** Again, do review and thank you for reading.

Glossary for Japanese terms:

' Moshi-moshi ' means ' Hello '

' Oyasumi nasai ' means ' Good night '

' Summimasen ' means ' Excuse me ' or ' Pardon me ' or ' Forgive me '

' Okasan ' means ' Mother '

' Irasshai mase ' means ' Welcome '

' Itai ' means ' Ouch '


End file.
